GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 4TH JULY 2017
TUESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FIRST READING: Genesis 19:15-29
PSALM: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12
GOSPEL: Matthew 8:23-27
THEME: THE LORD OUR RESCUER
On February 2, 2017, a good number of media houses in the US carried the story of a woman by name Shelby Carter, who in the face of a raging fire that was consuming her house in Illinois, chose to save her 12-day old daughter by strapping her with a car seat and tossing her out of a second story window. The baby was rescued but the woman died in the process through carbon monoxide intoxication from smoke inhalation. The heroic act of this woman gives us a taste of compassion. Compassion moves you to save. Therefore, to say that God is compassionate means he would do everything within his means to save us.
In our First Reading, we have an account of a compassionate God who sets out to save Lot and his family from an impending sulphurous inferno upon Sodom and Gomorrah. At a point in time during the rescue mission, Lot, according to the text, was hesitant. However, the men sent by the Lord, “seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city” (Gen. 19:16). In sum, the Lord virtually ‘snatched’ Lot and his family from disaster.
The Gospel text also gives an account of a compassionate Lord who rescued his disciples from a violent storm that broke over the lake. In fact, their boat was swamped by the waves. Upon hearing their cry, “save us Lord, we are perishing”, we are told that Jesus “rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matt. 8:26).
From the two Scripture texts above, we can confidently say that the Lord is able to deliver. Are you faced with a big problem? Is a raging fire heading towards your direction? Are you being submerged by the storms of life? Courage, the God who rescues from fire and water is with you. Call upon him and he would rescue you.
The Lord of compassion says to each one of us: “When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isa. 43:2).
PRAYER: God of mercy and compassion, save my feet from the miry clay, lest I sink. Rescue me from the countless troubles that surround me. You are my strength and salvation. You are my only hope in this situation. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).